Brachial Plexus Avulsion

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A brachial plexus avulsion is a very serious injury an infant can sustain during birth. It can happen to the brachial plexus, which is the network of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand. The Mayo Clinic says that a brachial plexus avulsion happens when the shoulder is pressed down while the head is pushed up away from the shoulder. This tears the nerves. Brachial plexus avulsion can happen during a difficult labor or delivery.

In a brachial plexus avulsion injury, the nerve root is torn from the spinal cord. There is a chance the infant can recover from a more mild injury to the brachial plexus. But a brachial plexus avulsion cannot heal on its own. In some cases, the effects of the torn nerve can be helped by surgery.

Symptoms of brachial plexus avulsion can be different in each child. However, most of the time the infant’s arm will be limp immediately following delivery. As the infant grows, symptoms include:

Severe pain

Can use fingers, but not shoulder or elbow muscles

Can use the arm but not the fingers

Not being able to use entire arm, including shoulder and hand

Lack of feeling or sensation in the arm or hand

Brachial plexus avulsion is a form of brachial plexus palsy, also called Erb’s Palsy. This condition is named after the doctor who first described the condition, Wilhelm Erb.

Erb’s Palsy Lawsuit

A brachial plexus avulsion injury can mean a lifetime of expensive care. Unfortunately, some cases of this injury are caused by improper medical care during delivery. If it is decided that your child’s birth injury was caused by medical negligence or improper care, a lawsuit can help ease some of your financial burden. An Erb’s Palsy lawsuit may also help prevent a similar situation from happening to another family.

Call a nurse case manager at Sokolove Law today. A nurse case manager will be available to listen to your story and help you explore your options, which may include pursuing a lawsuit. There is no cost to you for us to represent you and your family in a birth injury lawsuit. Sokolove Law only gets paid if you receive money from your case.